Steven Haynes on Cold Water Immersion and His Journey With Fjord Cold Plunge

Steven Haynes’ affinity for cold water immersion began on a trip to Norway in 2015 when a local convinced him to do his triathlon training swim in the frigid waters of Oslofjord. After that experience, he became addicted to the cold shock response, and began his journey learning about the mental and physical benefits of deliberate cold exposure.

Years later, in January 2023, he was discouraged to see that the price points of cold water plunges started around the $5,000 range. That discouragement prompted him to get creative and build his cold plunge DIY-style, with parts and components from different suppliers. He says friends would come over, plunge with him, and ask if he could build one for them too. The word quickly spread, and months later, he left his consulting career to turn his passion into a full-time business.

Now the founder of Fjord Cold Plunge, Haynes says that his product is unique because it competes with other premium cold plunges at a more affordable price on the market.

“I’ve intentionally over-built the chiller power to keep the water cold (without ice) with repeat use,” Haynes writes, “which is great for gyms and B2B environments where back-to-back frequent use is common.”

Haynes states that they have also paid particular attention to their filtration and sanitation setups and chose inflatable tub designs for maximum portability. With a user-friendly, aesthetic LED display, you can even connect it to your iPhone app to change the temperature remotely. Their tubs offer temperature ranges from 37 degrees to 105 degrees.

When asked about the cold water immersion process, Haynes comments that people are often hesitant to try it the first time but need to give themselves credit for what they’re capable of. He says that crossing or overcoming “bars” during the cold plunge is mostly a mental experience.

“The first “bar” one faces is the decision to get into the plunge,” he says. “It is simply the mental decision to say yes and step into the cold water.”

He states that the second and third bars come from submerging into the water up to the neck, then ten seconds to one minute after immersion, when the brain tells the body that “this is uncomfortable; I want to get out.” After pushing past this urge, the fourth bar involves staying in longer until shiver happens. By overcoming these bars, Haynes says you can also learn to combat other stressors in your life, as your “mind and nervous system is already tuned and tough to respond with more patience, calm, and grace.”

With antidepressant benefits backed by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and metabolic health effects of cold water immersion studied by the Cleveland Clinic, the ice bath technology from Fjord Cold Plunge could help increase energy and vitality and even assist in sleep.

At Fjord Cold Plunge, Steven is optimistic about the physical and psychological effects that cold water immersion can provide. The Austin-based company looks to grow beyond Texas and may soon be coming to a gym near you!